What Kind of A/C Life Span Can You Expect From Your Cooling Equipment

Reliable home cooling equipment is a necessity if you want to have a comfortable living environment when it’s hot and humid outside. Learning more about A/C life span and how it relates to your existing cooling equipment can help you decide when it’s time for replacement. The following three factors are all important when it comes to judging the expected service life of your air conditioner:

The cooling equipment’s age. On average, an air conditioner’s life span is 15 years. If your current A/C is 10 years old or older, you may already be experiencing a gradual decline in energy efficiency, reliability and cooling capacity. This is normal with aging equipment, even if preventative maintenance has been performed every year. Replacing an older air conditioner sooner rather than later could save you the cost of future repairs, and the inconvenience of an untimely equipment failure.

High operating costs. Not only is an older A/C plagued by a gradual decrease in energy efficiency, the equipment’s relatively low seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) may be contributing to excessively high utility costs as well. Your 10-year old-cooling equipment is likely a SEER 10, while today’s models range between the minimum standard 13 up to 24 SEER. Upgrading to a mid-range 16 from a SEER 10 A/C can provide energy savings of 60 percent, and those savings can increase by another 15 percent if the new equipment is Energy Star certified.

Decreased dehumidification. As an air conditioner ages and its efficiency wanes, the equipment’s ability to circulate air declines as well. Insufficient air circulation directly impacts how much moisture is removed by the A/C, so it can lead to high humidity in a home. If your older cooling equipment isn’t dehumidifying effectively, you’ll be less comfortable, and you may start seeing issues with mold and mildew, degraded air quality, musty odors, and damage to your furnishings and the structure itself.

To learn more about what to expect for an A/C life span, or for expert advice about whether your older cooling equipment is ready for retirement, contact us today at United Air Conditioning.